Dual-use technologies can be understood as infrastructure, systems and technological capabilities designed to simultaneously support essential civilian applications and strategic functions relating to security, risk management and institutional continuity. In contemporary digital societies, where connectivity has become a structural element of economic and social functioning, these technologies play an increasingly significant role.
In the field of telecommunications, the concept of dual-use is particularly evident. Digital networks now form the foundation upon which multiple dimensions of modern life operate: from everyday communication and economic activity to institutional coordination, emergency management and the protection of critical infrastructure. In this sense, dual-use does not represent a deviation from purpose, but rather a natural consequence of the strategic centrality that telecommunications have acquired in the contemporary world.
What are the main characteristics?
Dual-use technologies are characterised by high levels of reliability, operational resilience and interoperability. These are infrastructures designed to operate under strict standards of availability, integrity and security, capable of simultaneously supporting massive civilian demands and critical institutional requirements.
In the telecommunications sector, these characteristics are the result of decades of investment in infrastructure, technological innovation and the development of international standardisation frameworks. The architecture of modern networks incorporates advanced mechanisms for redundancy, cyber protection and operational governance that guarantee service continuity even in highly complex contexts.
Another distinctive feature is the capacity for integration between different technological layers. Today’s networks link terrestrial, mobile and satellite infrastructures with advanced digital systems, creating interconnected ecosystems that enable the provision of essential services for society and for public and private institutions.
What examples are there?
One of the most paradigmatic examples of dual-use technologies is represented by global satellite navigation systems, such as GPS (United States), GLONASS (Russia), Galileo (European Union) and BeiDou (China). Originally conceived with a strong strategic dimension linked to national sovereignty, these systems have, over time, become fundamental infrastructures for the day-to-day functioning of modern societies.
Today, they underpin applications as diverse as navigation and logistics, transport management, environmental monitoring and the time synchronisation of critical systems. In particular, the precise synchronisation provided by these systems is essential for the operation of telecommunications networks, data centres and financial systems, highlighting how the dual nature of these technologies has become deeply embedded in civilian life.
Other relevant examples include advanced mobile networks — from 4G to 5G and, in the future, 6G —, fibre-optic and submarine cable infrastructure, data centres and low-Earth orbit satellite constellations.
These infrastructures underpin digital services that are essential for the population and the economy, whilst providing structural support for institutional coordination, emergency management and the continuity of critical services.
Likewise, solutions based on artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics applied to network management—such as predictive maintenance, anomaly detection or traffic optimisation—illustrate how technological innovation simultaneously contributes to improving operational efficiency, network security and the resilience of digital systems.
What advantages does this ‘dual’ nature offer?
This dual nature provides a significant structural advantage to contemporary digital infrastructures, by enabling a single technological foundation to contribute simultaneously to socio-economic development and institutional resilience. Telecommunications networks, designed to high standards of security, availability and reliability, can sustain large-scale civilian services whilst supporting critical functions related to the continuity of essential services and institutional coordination.
This model also facilitates significant gains in efficiency and scale. By enabling multiple applications to rely on robust and widely distributed technological infrastructures, this dual nature helps to accelerate innovation, broaden access to digital services and strengthen the resilience of the systems that underpin economic and social life.
At the same time, it is important to recognise that the contemporary technological ecosystem is organised in a pluralistic manner. In many contexts, multi-purpose and dual-use infrastructures coexist with solutions designed for specific applications, depending on the technical, operational or institutional requirements of each environment. This complementarity allows different connectivity models to be integrated in a balanced manner, ensuring that digital infrastructures can respond flexibly and efficiently to society’s diverse needs.
In this sense, rather than representing a single model, dual-use forms part of a broader set of technological architectures which, when properly combined, expand telecommunications’ capacity to support both innovation and the stability and security of digital societies.
What risks do they pose?
The challenges associated with dual-use technologies do not stem from inherent weaknesses in these infrastructures, but from the growing complexity of the digital ecosystems in which they operate. As telecommunications become increasingly integrated with other critical infrastructures and advanced technological systems, it becomes essential to maintain robust mechanisms for governance, institutional coordination and risk management.
The telecommunications sector has responded to this context by continuously strengthening its practices in security, operational resilience and institutional cooperation. The adoption of international standards, the development of advanced cybersecurity capabilities and collaboration with public authorities and multilateral organisations have been key elements in ensuring reliable and robust digital environments.
Thus, the main challenge lies not in the technology itself, but in the collective capacity to keep pace with its evolution through appropriate institutional frameworks and cooperation mechanisms.
What is the importance of regulation in this context?
Regulation plays a fundamental role in ensuring that the development and application of dual-use technologies take place within an environment of trust, predictability and institutional accountability. Clear, proportionate and technically informed regulatory frameworks enable a balance to be struck between innovation, security and the protection of the public interest in an increasingly interconnected technological landscape.
In both Brazil and Europe, strengthening the dialogue between regulators, companies and international bodies has been essential to consolidating telecommunications as critical infrastructure and as pillars of digital sovereignty. This approach helps to promote common standards of interoperability, security and resilience, whilst fostering an environment conducive to responsible innovation.
In this context, regulation does not act as a constraint on technological development, but rather as an instrument that guides its evolution in a balanced manner, reinforcing the role of telecommunications as one of the main pillars of stability, security and prosperity in contemporary digital societies.
